Delirium
by thatgirlwithastorytotell
Summary: After a horrific car accident taking the lives of her parents, Cassie Barker must change her entire life to live with her aunt and uncle in Bathory. However, Cassie will soon find out that this small town holds big secrets.
1. A New Life

I looked out the car window, the sun momentarily blinding my eyes. Today was the day. I was officially moving in with my aunt and uncle. My name is Cassie Barker. I am 16 years old. The reason that I must move halfway across the United States is this: my parents died in a severe car accident. Whenever I tell people this, they just look at me in a daze. Some even have the nerve to ask me if I am alright.

I'll never be alright.

My parents were the only people I have ever trusted. Every friend I have had in the past has found away to turn their back on me. Around the age of 12, I gave up on friendship. I promised myself that I would never trust anyone again. I would stay quiet at family parties, sit alone at lunch, I even deleted every social networking account I owned on the internet.

I was depressed. My parents took notice of this.

They took me on a vacation to Disney World whenever I turned 13. I began to open up more. My mother and I would have hour long conversations about anything. I liked talking to my mom. She was a good conversationalist. In some way, she would always find a way to expand the topic that was being discussed.

My father and I began to hang out more as well. We would build things in the basement. One of my favorites was a brand-new rocking chair for my grandmother. The building took weeks of cutting and sanding wood. Needless to say, my grandmother fell in love with the gift.

I didn't take my parent's death lightly. The date of the accident was November 19, a day I will never forget.


	2. Midnight Snack

*Flashback*

Midnight.

It was midnight and my parents had yet to come home from their anniversery dinner. I can't really say I was worried. They were adults. They could handle themselves.

Walking down the stairs, a cold shiver ran up my spine. Snow was falling intensely outside. I peered out the window, attempting to get a better look at the white precipatation. My breath fogged up the glass. Through the dingy windows, I could easily tell the snow was piling high.

Now I began to worry.

I made my way to the kitchen, my black, curly hair falling over my eyes. Throwing my hair into a quick ponytail, I rummaged through the fridge. The only thing that seemed decent at this time of night was a half eaten Subway hoagie.

"Guess that'll have to do," I whispered to myself.

I set the sandwich on plate and set it on the table. Before sitting to eat my midnight snack, I went to switch on the light.

Nothing.

The power was, indeed, out.

_Knock knock_

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound. Who the hell could be at the door this time of night?

I was hesitant. I've seen every horror movie known to man, and there was no way I was just going to answer the door at midnight, no one was home, and the power was out in a snow storm. Sounds safe, right?

As a precaution, I took steak knife from the drawer in the kitchen and held it tightly behind my back. My grasp was so tight, that I'm sure my knuckles had begun to turn white.

I crept down the hallway slowly. Who knows, maybe if I walked slow enough, they'd just go away.

The floorboards creaked eerily under my feet. Then I noticed the flashing lights. Red and blue.

There was a police car outside.

I immediately dropped the knife and took off running towards the door. Every possible situation filled my head. I tried pushing these thoughts away, hoping it was some sort of winter storm thing they had began doing. Police going door to door to tell the citizens to stay safe sounds legitamate, right?

I grasped the door knob, the metal cool under my skin. Turning it slowly, I made a silent prayer to God that this was anything but bad news.

The officer that stood before me was familiar. He was a short, bald man with a small scar just below his eye. The officer was probably around 40 years old.

Officer Harrison.

He patrolled our hallways at school daily. I had talked to him once or twice, but I really couldn't say I knew him too well.

My hands had begun to shake. It felt as if my entire body would collapse right then and there. I small tear rolled down my cheek.

My voice sounded feeble, echoing in the empty hallways, "Yes, officer?"

"Ms. Barker, it's not good news," were the last words I heard before my entire life fell apart.


	3. Bathory

*Present*

All I could see for miles in front of us were hills. A police officer from my hometown was escorting me to my new home.

I could've driven myself.

After suggesting this, I had received several glances from the officers. Each and everyone was filled with pity.

"We can't allow that," Officer Harrison had said.

They wouldn't tell me why, but I knew.

They feared that I may attempt to kill myself.

To tell the truth, I had considered it. In the end, however, I know my parents wouldn't want that. They would want me to graduate high school, go to college, maybe even start a family. I refused to let them down.

The officer who had escorted me was younger than Officer Harrison, maybe around 26. He had black hair that was styled so it stuck out in many directions. Obviously, the officer used a little to much hair gel.

They mentioned his name once or twice, but I didn't care much to pay attention. He stayed quiet the entire plane ride. Now, just miles away from my new home, he decided to start a conversation.

"Bathory's a lovely town," his voice was husky.

I continued staring out the window, my hands clasped tightly together.

"How do you know?," I asked.

The officer sipped his coffee before answering, "I grew up in Bathory. It's real quiet, a lot of friendly people." I could see his reflection in the window, smiling, trying to make me feel better about the situation.

Nothing could make this situation any better.

The rest of the car ride was silent. Houses began coming into view. I had never been to my aunt's house. The only time I saw her was at family reunions, making it quite strange that she suggested I come stay with her.

We passed a small playground. There were several young children playing kickball on a flat, paved surface. I smiled to myself. Children were my weakness. I've always dreamed of being a mother one day. Nothing's more amazing then listening to a child laugh.

Turning onto a different street, I noticed two teenagers walking on the sidewalk. To be honest, the short glimpse I got of them, I can say they were actually kind of cute. One had floppy blonde hair and was laughing at something the other had said. The other kid had black hair that sort of fell over his face.

My moment of joy was short lived as officer whats-his-face pulled into a driveway. A small house sat in front of me. A man and woman stood outside.

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Francis.

Aunt Kelly was short, but completely beautiful. I recall her telling me once that she dreamed of being a model when she was a child. Now, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her unattractive husband. Go figure.

Uncle Francis was ugly. He just wasn't someone you wanted to run into in an alley at night. He was missing teeth and hair. His beer belly stuck out quite far past his waste.

I was afraid of Uncle Francis when I was a child. There really was no reason to be afraid of him, I just was.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door. The officer was already out of the car, speaking to my new guardians.

"Cassie! How are you baby girl?" my aunt pulled me into a tight embrace. I looked over her shoulder at the officer. He gave me a small smile.

It wasn't all too reassuring.

My uncle shook my hand, not saying a word. Officer no name handed me my bags and wished me a farewell.

Aunt Kelly was rambling on about something, but I wasn't listening. We made our way up the stairs. I looked back one more time. The boys I saw walking the sidewalk had made their way up the street. I noticed that the one with black hair was really pale. He turned his head, noticed me watching him and offered a small smile and a wave.

I waved back before Uncle Francis was tugging me inside.

He had a stern look on his face, "That boy there, Vladimir Tod, nothin' but trouble."

"Oh Francis stop it!" Aunt Kelly scorned him. She gestured for me to follow her upstairs.

Making my way down the long hallway, I took note of the photographs that hung in frames on the walls. They were all family pictures taken at our family reunions. I caught a glimpse of one of my mother and father.

It took every ounce of power I had to not break down right then and there.

Aunt Kelly opened a door at the end of the hallway. The room we walked into was small, but cozy. There was one window on the far end with a large window pane. Pillows were set up to make it look like a small bed.

"It's a little small, but it's really all we have at the moment," Aunt Kelly said turning towards me.

I smiled, "It's perfect." I liked the window. Back home, I would sit by the window and write stories. Writing was sort of a passion of mine.

Aunt Kelly clapped her hands together. "Want me to help you unpack?"

"No I got it," I said, setting the bags on my new bed.

Aunt Kelly let a small smile play on her lips, "Okay, well I'll make you something to eat. Is spaghetti okay?"

I nodded my head and she left, closing the door behind her. Glad to be alone, I pulled out my journal and a ballpoint pen. Sitting on the window pane, I began writing about the journey here. I included Vladimir in my journal entry. Uncle Francis told me to basically stay away from him, but that made me only want to get to know him even more.

_Maybe this place wasn't going to be so bad._

I closed the notebook and glanced outside. The sun had already begun its descent.

"Dinner's ready!" Aunt Kelly's sing song voice rang from downstairs.

Before leaving, I hid my journal behind one of the pillows near the window. This made it easily accessible for me to write and hard for any snooping guardians to find.


	4. What We Have in Common

The dining room in Aunt Kelly's house was nicely decorated. Framed artwork surrounded the room. The table, centered perfectly, was mahogany. A blood red table cloth was pulled back to make room for the dinner. There was a vase with yellow roses in the middle of the table.

The table could seat around 8 people. However, my aunt, uncle, and I only took up the far end of the table.

It was really quiet. I decided that it was time for me to talk.

"So how do you know thatv that Vladimir kid is trouble Uncle Francis?" Maybe it wasn't the best conversation to start, but I really wanted to know more about the boy.

My uncle looked up from his meal, swallowing a pretty large amount of spaghetti before answering. "I'm good friends with the principal of the high school. He said that kid is in his office nearly everyday of the week."

"Oh Francis," my aunt spoke out. "I work with his aunt at the hospital. She speaks very highly of him, said he's real responsible."

Uncle Francis rolled his eyes, "Well of course she's going to make him seem like this amazing person! I do know that I've seen him walking around in the middle of the night, wearing all black like some kind of criminal. Probably going around breaking into houses."

"Well give the kid a break, his parents are dead! He doesn't exactly have a good life," my aunt's eyes went wide when she realized what she had just said. "Cassie, I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"His parents died?" I cut her off mid sentence. "How?"

Uncle Francis shrugged, "Some kind of house fire or something. I believe Vladimir was at school at the time. Doesn't really matter though."

I looked down at my plate, all of a sudden not feeling to hungry. The conversation only made more interested in the boy. Maybe we could get along, considering we both had lost are parents.

What was I thinking? I couldn't just walk up to him and say _Oh yeah! I'm Cassie, and I heard your parents are dead. Mine are too. Wanna be best friends?_

Yeah, I sounded completely insane.


	5. Bathory High

The sound of the alarm clock echoed throughout my new room.

6:00 A.M.

Today was the day I was starting school in my new town. It was also the first time I would be going back to school since my parents passed away.

The room was still dark, only a little bit of light from the streetlights escaped in through the window. I rubbed my temples, wishing I could just skip my first day of school. Starting out not knowing where the hell you were going wasn't quite fun. Not to mention that it was the middle of the year.

After several minutes of debating on whether or not to go back to sleep, I slipped out of bed and switched on the light. The blinding light took quite a few moments for my eyes to adjust to.

I chose a simple "Green Day" t-shirt and blue skinny jeans to wear. Looking in the mirror, I realized I looked like someone who was out partying all night. My black hair was tangled in several knots. My hazel eyes had dark, purple circles underneath of them. As if that wasn't enough, my lips were so chapped that they actually were beginning to bleed.

Sighing, I pulled out my make-up bag and straightener and decided to get to work. Slipping a simple pink flower clip into my hair, I stepped back to admire myself in the mirror.

"Not too bad," I whispered to myself.

I grabbed my bookbag and made my way downstairs to find Aunt Kelly cooking breakfast.

"I made you some scrambled eggs, sweetheart," her back was turned to me as she cracked two eggs into the pan.

I crinkled my nose at the name she had called me. My mother used to attempt to call me that when I was a child, but I would always yell at her for doing so. I don't like nicknames. It's Cassie or nothing at all.

I sat down in front of a plate of food. Butterflies had already begun forming in my stomach.

To say I was nervous about my first day was and understatement. I was completely horrified. _What if I got lost? What if I was bullied? What if I did something completely embarrassing?_

"Ready for your first day?" Aunt Kelly snapped me out of my thoughts.

All I could manage was a small nod.

The school that we pulled up to looked sort of like an old church. There were many kids making their way up to Bathory High School. I noticed a group of kids that must have been the popular crowd. One girl with brown hair was wearing _way _too much pink.

"Can we wait until everyone gets inside?" I looked at my aunt hopefully.

She smiled lightly, taking my hand. "I can just see the fear in your eyes. Relax, Cassie. It may be nerve racking, but you'll be making friends in no time."

I pursed my lips. Making friends was the least of my worries. I wasn't social, I didn't care. I'd rather eat lunch alone then sit at a table with a bunch of judging teenagers.

Once the front of the school cleared out, Aunt Kelly and I stepped out of the car and made our way inside.

We walked into the main office to receive my schedule. I young woman with red, curly hair was sitting at the front desk.

"Can I help you?" she said. Before I even had a chance to speak, a man who resembled a rat was walking into the office.

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD VLADIMIR!?" the man screamed. His face seemed to have been turning purple. He must've been the principal.

The boy that I had seen walked out behind him. He was wearing a skull t-shirt and black skinny jeans, a smirk playing on his lips.

He jokingly saluted the man, "Yes, sir!"

The prinicpal walked over to us, Vladimir following behind. "You must be our new student. Cassie? Am I correct?"

I nodded, stealing a quick glance at Vladimir. My first impression of him proved to be false. He wasn't cute. In fact, he was hot. The boy had pale skin with absolutely zero flaws. His eyes were dark, giving him a mysterious look.

Vladimir nodded towards me, "Hey."

"I'm principal Snelgrove. I was going to show you around, but since Vladimir likes to cause trouble, I'll have him do the job," Snelgrove said, making a disgusted face when mentioning Vladimir's name.

"Ah man! Anything but that!" the teenage boy said sarcastically.

Principal Snelgrove rolled his eyes, handing me my schedule.

Aunt Kelly waved towards me, "Have a nice first day!"

Vladimir and I made our way out of the office. He snatched my schedule out of my hands before I even had a chance to look at it.

"Cool, we have nearly the same schedule. That makes things easy," he smiled in my direction.

I adjusted the straps of my bag on my shoulder, "Thanks, Vladimir."

"Ugh, call me Vlad please," he made a disgusted face. "I usually only get called Vladimir whenever I'm in trouble."

"Alright."

"So," Vlad handed me my schedule, "is Cassie short for, like, Cassandra?"

I shook my head, "No, it's just Cassie."

"Cool," he stuck his thumbs in his front pockets. "Well we're almost to homeroom, so not much time to talk. Wanna sit with me and my friend Henry at lunch?"

Great. I had to socialize. Well, I could just say no, but I wanted to talk to this boy more. It was strange. He seemed alluring in a way.

"Sure, why not?"


	6. A Walk Home

My morning classes were long and extremely boring. Not to many people talked to me, which was a good thing. Vlad tried having small conversations while we walked to our classes, but I never really talked much. I liked the way his voice sounded. It was slightly raspy and deep.

As lunch came around, the butterflies began to worsen. I had to meet new people. I may even have to talk.

Vlad led me to the cafeteria while he was rambling on about his favorite band. I couldn't help but smile at him. He seemed to get gitty and excited, like a little kid, over things he loved.

As we walked into the crowded cafeteria, several kids shot disgusted glances at Vlad. We walked over to a table where the blonde kid from the other day was sitting.

"This is Henry. Henry, this is Cassie," Vlad introduced us as we sat down.

Henry wasn't bad looking himself. He had blue eyes that seemed to twinkle in the light. His blonde hair was sort of floppy, and he kept fixing it every few seconds.

"Nice to meet you," he offered his hand. I shook it reluctantly.

Vlad, sitting to my right, spoke up, "She doesn't talk much. She kinda makes me feel like I talk too much."

"That's because you do," Henry said, sticking his tounge out at Vlad.

"It's not that I don't talk much, I just don't have much to say," I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, trying not to look like I was nervous.

"So where are you from?" Henry took a sip of his soda.

Vlad laughed, "Would you believe that I've been with her all day and didn't even ask that?"

I grabbed one of Henry's fries, feeling a little more comfortable, and said, "I'm from Colorado."

Henry gave me a look that made me burst out laughing. It was a cross between _Don't you do that again_ and _I will cut you._

"Do you want me to buy you lunch or something?" Vlad offered.

I shook my head, "Nah, I'm not too hungry."

Henry nodded towards a girl walking to our table, "Ex-girlfriend alert."

The girl I had seen earlier who was wearing too much pink approached our table. She looked a little upset.

"So, Vladdie, is this like your new girlfriend or something," she said in an annoyed voice. The girl gave me a disgusted look. I returned the favor.

Vlad flinched at the nickname, "No, Meredith. I can talk to other girls, it's really none of your business."

Meredith sat down next to Henry. She gave Vlad a pair of puppy dog eyes, "Don't you miss me?"

I instinctevly rolled my eyes. This girl seemed desperate.

"What the hell's your problem!?" Miss Pinkie yelled towards me.

Vlad glared at the girl, "Leave her out of this."

With that being said, Meredith got up and went back to her table. Vlad looked over at me and began apologizing, but I just held up my hand.

"Not your fault."

For the rest of the lunch period, we talked about random things. I opened up a little more. Vlad and Henry seemed cool. Maybe I could get along with them after all.

I decided to walk home with Vlad.

The entire walk we discussed Meredith. He told me how he had thought he was in love with her. Vlad had a crush on her since he was little kid. When they started dating, however, it didn't feel much like that anymore. He was a little annoyed with her personality. He said she turned out to be really rude.

Judging by the way she talked to me, I didn't need Vlad to tell me that.

I kept finding myself staring at him. He had an incredible smile that made his eyes light up. Vlad was pretty tall, something I find very attractive. He talked using his hands a lot. Vlad would make gestures and would snap if he couldn't remember what he was about to say.

It was really cute.

Once we got to my house, I felt awful. I just wanted to spend more time with him.

"Do you wanna come in?" I asked hopefully.

He smiled, damn that smile, before answering, "I'd love to, but my aunt needs me back home to do some stuff. How about I give you my skype account and we can video chat tonight?"

Not wanting to seem to eager, I waited a second before answering. "Sure! I'll have to make a skype though," I said laughing.

"VladTod18"

I quickly typed that into the notepad on my phone. I looked back up at him and smiled.

Vlad took a step closer, "You have really pretty eyes. There's like a mixture of brown and green. That's cute."

To say I was happy at that moment would be and understatement. I was completely overjoyed!

He placed his hand on my cheek, never letting his eyes leave mine.

A cold shiver ran up my spine. Vlad's hands felt like ice on my skin.

I giggled like a little kid. "Uhm, thanks. I'll, uh, skype you tonight?"

Vlad nodded before dropping his hand and turning to leave.

Uncle Francis opened the door the moment Vlad was out of sight.

"I thought I told you to stay away from him!" I made my way inside, all the while trying to avoid my uncle's glare.

"Sorry. He showed me around school today and I sat with him at lunch. He doesn't seem so bad to me."

I made my way upstairs and immediately made a skype account.


	7. Liar

"I'm guessing you had a good day?" Aunt Kelly questioned me as we sat down for dinner.

I looked over at her, slightly confused. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

She glanced over at my uncle, who seemed a little annoyed. "You're smiling. I haven't seen you do that since you got here."

I could feel my face getting beat red. All I did was nod, not wanting to go farther in depth with the conversation. Uncle Francis was obviously unhappy that Vlad was the reason for my happiness.

"Well tell me, what happened today?" my aunt looked interested. For a second, she looked like my mother. She sounded like my mother. My smile grew even wider. Maybe I could just pretend she was my mother.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "I actually made a few friends. My classes aren't to bad either."

Aunt Kelly's eyes lit up at the sound of the word 'friends.' "Well tell me about these friends. What are their names?"

I smiled, completely ready to talk on and on about Vlad. "There's Henry and Vlad. I sat with them at lunch and Vlad showed me around the school and even walked me home."

I couldn't help but laugh at my rambling. Uncle Francis rolled his eyes.

"Boy's still nothin' but trouble," he said as he got up from the table without finishing his meal.

"Don't mind him, tell me more about him Cassie!" Aunt Kelly seemed eager.

I spent the next 20 minutes going in to extreme detail about Vlad. Mentioning his eyes, hair, and voice, I must've seemed like a crazy person.

After dinner, I went upstairs and logged onto Skype.

I couldn't contain my smile whenever I saw that Vlad was online. Starting a video call, I walked over to the window and positioned my laptop so my face looked decent in the webcam.

Once we were connected, the only thing I could see on Vlad's camera was darkness.

"Hello?" I said, slightly confused.

Then Vlad jumped into view, making me scream. He laughed at his own joke.

"Not funny!" I yelled at him, not being able to contain my smile.

Vlad smirked, swiping his bangs from his face. "Sorry, but it was hilarioius." A devilish smile crossed his face.

I looked at his shirt, "Is that blood!? What happened!?"

"Oh, uh, just a little, uh, nose bleed?" Vlad sounded more like he was asking me, rather than telling me.

I nodded, not believing him for a second. However, I didn't want to investigate any further. That was his business.

I gasped when he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it across the room. Vlad was fit, real fit. I don't know how I hadn't noticed his muscles before, but now they were in full view. He grabbed a hoodie from the floor and began to slip it over his head. I noticed a small tattoo on his wrist. They were strange symbols that were impossible to decipher.

"What's that on your wrist?"

Vlad looked down at his hand as if he needed a reminder of what it was.

"Erm, a tattoo I got a while ago. I thought it looked cool," he was definitely lying. Why did he lie so much? It doesn't help that he wasn't any good at it.

Instead of nagging him about the mark, I just decided to change the subject all together. "Cool, so you hear about that new chainsaw movie coming out?"

Vlad smirked before we emersed ourselves in an hour long conversation about horror movies.

I went to bed with the biggest smile on my face.


	8. A Late Night Visit

Several weeks passed and I began to really enjoy living in Bathory. The town was truly peaceful and the people really weren't all that bad.

Vlad introduced me to some of his other friends. I began hanging around one girl who's named October.

I wouldn't particularly say Vlad and I were an official couple. However, he did hold me hand constantly, wrap his arms around me while we were studying, and occasionally kiss me.

Okay, so we are a couple.

Meredith never seemed pleased with me. We had a project for English that required Meredith and I to work together. Instead of speaking to me, she wrote a note saying that she'd do all of the work and that I needn't do a thing.

We received an A+ on the project. I did _zero_ of the work.

Not everything was all happy and cheery though. I caught Vlad in several lies. Once he claimed to have been sick and didn't come to school. Later, October and I were at the mall to see a movie, and I swear I saw Vlad walking through the mall.

I never confronted him about it. He deserved his privacy. I mean, it's not like he was cancelling dates. It was just real strange whenever Vlad hid things from me. I felt kind of hurt, like he couldn't trust me.

Then again, it's not like he had to tell me anything. We had only been "together" for a few weeks. It's not like we were in any kind of committed relationship.

However, I knew I _had _to confront him after that one night.

It was windy outside. Rain pelted against the window, making it highly difficult to sleep. I turned on my lamp, deciding that I might as well be productive with my time, rather than lie in bed praying for sleep. I pulled out _Romeo and Juliet_ to begin reading it for our next English assignment.

I had gotten pretty far into the play whenever there was banging on my window. The noise was louder than the rain, and it nearly made me jump out of my skin. I glared out the window, trying to make sense of the shape standing directly outside of it.

For a moment, I contemplated on whether or not I should run downstairs and call the police. Then I got a text from Vlad.

_Open the damn window_

I crept across the room and did as the text said. Vlad jumped in and slammed the window shut behind him

The sight in front of me was something I could never forget.

Vlad's hair was stuck to his face from the rain. He was breathing heavily from what I'm assuming was running. Mud covered his clothes, along with something else. Blood. Vlad was covered in it. He had cuts and bruises on his face and chest that looked really nasty.

I gasped, "VLAD! WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO YOU!?"

Vlad had a look in eyes that said, simply, I can't say.

"I can't go home like this, Aunt Nelly will freak out. Help your boyfriend out?" He smiled, although I could tell it was forced. My heart fluttered at the sound of the word 'boyfriend.'

I pulled out an old pair of my father's sweatpants that I had brought along with me and tossed them towards Vlad, proceeding to turn around while he changed out of his dirt covered clothes.

I spent an hour cleaning his wounds while his clothes were in the washer.

"How did this happen?"

Vlad looked into my eyes, his lips were chapped and his voice cracked. "I, I, uhm, I fell, walking in the woods. The rain makes it extremely hard to walk."

That moment I knew, Vlad was hiding something, and whatever it was, it was big. There's no way merely falling could cause this much damage. And even if his statement was true, what the hell was he doing in the woods at this time of night in a rainstorm.

After he changed back into his own clothes, Vlad pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. I closed my eyes and savored the moment. My heart in my chest began beating a million miles a minute.

"Thanks, babe. I knew I could count on you," Vlad said as he climbed out of my window, back into the rain.

For the rest of the night, I laid in bed and tried to ponder the situation. Vladimir Tod had lied to me...again.

The next morning, I walked outside to find Vlad leaning against the railing of my porch stairs. He smiled, making the creases under his eyes become more define. I smiled as I took his hand.

Then I noticed it.

Each and every cut and bruise that was on his face the previous night had completely , disappeared. I really analyzed him for a second, trying to figure out if he was possibly wearing make up to cover them up.

But he was not.

I began to question whether or not I may have been dreaming last night. Maybe I had had a little too much tea before bed or something, causing me to dream my boyfriend coming over my house at 1:00 A.M., broken and bruised.

As we walked, Vlad talked about some television show that I hadn't caught the name of.

"And this guy, like, grabbed the main character by neck and just snapped it in half! It was sick!"

I looked up at him, letting go of his hand and shoving mine into my jeans pockets.

He looked confused and slightly hurt.

"Is this about last night?" Vlad had stopped walking. His face now inches away from mine. I could feel his cool breath against my ear as he whispered.

All I could do was nod. So it wasn't a dream after all.

"How about after school I take you somewhere and we can talk about it?"

My eyes met Vlad's, and for a second, he looked scared.


	9. Secrets Revealed

Vlad was quiet all day at school. We walked silently down the hallways, and only Henry talked at lunch.

I was worried about Vlad. He seemed truly scared. But scared of what? It was like he was afraid of me, or maybe he was afraid of being judged.

These thoughts raced through my head all day.

As the final bell rang, Vlad grabbed my hand and led me out of the school. He didn't speak, I silently followed him. We walked towards the woods, my confusion only increasing.

The ground began sloping upwards. Vlad and I came to a clearing. The view was incredible. I could see the entire town of Bathory from this one spot.

Vlad let go of my hand and sat down on a nearby rock. I moved to the rock, but did not sit down.

"It all goes back to my parents," Vlad began. I took a seat next him and grabbed his hand. He didn't look at me, instead his eyes remained on the town.

"I'm sure you've heard about their death in the house fire. It's one of the only reasons most people know me around here. Anyway, I still believe that they were killed for a reason."

Vlad's lips had begun to quiver slightly. I had never seen him like this before. "Why would you think that?" I said, tightening my grip on his hand.

"Because of who I am. I'm...different Cassie. There are people searching for me, people that want me dead. These are the same people who I believe killed my parents."

A tear ran down Vlad's face.

"Vlad..." I tried to soothe him, but the tears kept on falling.

"My father," he continued, "wasn't normal. He was, uhm, a vampire." Now Vlad looked at me. His eyes were still moist, but there was something in them that I had rarely seen.

Honesty.

I took a deep breath, "So that means, you're a vampire?"

"Half vampire. Something they call the Pravus. I can do things no one else can. Because of this, many people want me dead. Vampires and slayers."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. _Vampires _and _slayers_! Was Vlad going mad, or was I just not willing to accept him.

I must've been silent for longer than I had thought, because Vlad spoke up again.

"You don't believe me do you?"

I bit my lip. Did I believe him?

"Would it be rude of me to ask for proof?" I spoke my thoughts out loud.

I didn't have time to respond before my breath was taken away. Vlad's dark eyes began to ripple and turn into a bright purple color. He smiled, flashing a pair of pure white fangs. My heart skipped a beat, fear creeping it way into my mind. I was actually considering running away from him.

It was over as quickly as it had started. Within seconds, I was looking at the familiar face of Vladimir Tod.

"Wow..." was all I could muster.

I pulled Vlad into a hug as his tears continued to fall. My lips found his. The kiss was soft, sweet, but meant everything.

Vlad could trust me. I was here for him no matter what. His secret was safe with me.

He looked me in the eyes, resting his forehead on mine. "Thank you."

I smiled, "Walk me home?"

The usual Vladimir Tod smirk returned on his face. He was about to respond before I pressed my lips to his once more.

"On the way home, you can tell me about what had happened last?" I said, standing up and taking his hand once again.

Vlad stood up as well and began his story. "Well, it all started when a newborn vampire decided to start killing off neighborhood dogs. A newborn is something we use to describe someone who was just recently turned."


	10. Confessions

Vlad and I spent most of the night on Skype. I listened to him tell me stories about his vampire life. Once, he was staked by a slayer that he actually considered to be his friend. He told me about his training in Siberia with a vampire named Vikas.

"This is insane! Vampires and slayers," I laughed, "What's next? Werewolves?"

Vlad had a massive smile on his face.

"I'm glad I have you to talk to babe. You're amazing." Vlad said.

My heart nearly flew out of my chest. Vlad needed me. Vlad wanted me. I had Vlad.

"Vlad? Can I tell you something?" I whispered in the dark.

He looked at me with those perfect eyes, "Of course, Cassie."

Now was the time to tell him about my parents. If he could tell me his secret, I could tell him mine.

"So the reason I moved to Bathory was to live with my aunt and uncle. They offered to, uh," I could feel tears begin to run down my face. It hurt to talk about my parents. I usually forgot about my old life when I was with Vlad. "They offered to keep an eye on me, because my parent's had passed away."

By this point, I was completely crying. I looked up only to see a blank screen in front of me. Did Vlad seriously just leave me alone?

Then I heard a quiet knock on my window. I couldn't contain my smile, it had to be Vlad.

Walking across the room, I opened the window. Vlad climbed in and wrapped his arms around me, stroking my hair. He whispered softly into my ear.

After I calmed down, I looked him the eyes, "How did you get here so fast?"

"Vampiric speed," he stated as if it were obvious.

"You have to keep in mind, I'm new to all of this stuff," I laughed, burying my face into his chest. Vlad kissed my head repeatedly.

"Thanks for telling me your secret, love. It means a lot."

We sat down on the window pane, Vlad's arms wrapped securely around me. We stared outside, the moon full in the sky.

"Careful, the werewolves are out tonight," Vlad laughed at his own joke.

I closed my eyes, letting Vlad's presence keep me calm. The last thing I remember that night was Vlad whispering, "I love you," as he tucked me into bed.


	11. Saturday Morning

The light streaming through my window woke me up. It was Saturday, and I was up at 6:30 A.M.

I lazily got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Turning on the shower and stripping off my clothes, I let my thoughts wonder to last night. Revealing my secret to Vlad felt great. It felt as if a 2 ton brick had been lifted off my chest.

Then I remembered another aspect from the night. Vlad came over and comforted me, allowing me to fall asleep in his arms. After tucking me in, he had told me that he loved me.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this. Have Vlad and I reached that point in our relationship where we could say we loved one another? How long have I been in Bathory? It seemed like years.

What if Vlad said it to me once again? Maybe he said it, thinking I was 100% asleep, and didn't consider the consequences. But what were the consequences?

Did I love Vlad?

I pondered this question as I made myself breakfast. When I was with him, everything seemed...okay. I had no worries. My entire day brightened up at the sound of his name. He was the only person on planet Earth that I would allow to call me a nickname.

Maybe I did love Vlad.

I needed to talk to Vlad.

Grabbing my phone, I sent a quick text to him, asking if he'd like to hang out today. I knew he wouldn't be up yet, but maybe he'd enjoy waking up to a text from me.

_Hang out today, boo?_

I sat down in front of the television with a bowl of cereal. Clicking through the channels, I found one of my favorite movies playing: The Amazing Spiderman

Vlad texted me back about halfway through the movie.

_It's Saturday, what the hell are you doing up this early? :P I'd love to hang out! Wanna come over?"_

My smile widened.

_Sounds great! What time?_

Vlad, being the ultimate texter that he is, sent a reply in seconds.

_If you wanna come over now, I can pick you up and we can walk together._

I responded by telling Vlad that was a great idea. Within seconds, thanks to his vampiric speed, he was knocking on my door. Writing a quick note to my aunt and sticking it on the fridge, I nearly skipped out the door.

Vlad was wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. His hair was sticking out in several places. It looked as if he had just woken up.

"Today's my lazy day," he laughed. It was like he had read my mind.

Vlad's eyes stayed on the ground as he grabbed my hand and led me off of the porch.

"I, uh, kinda did, read your mind," he said.

I stopped dead in my tracks, "What?"

"I'm sorry. It's a vampire ability. Sometimes you're emotions are really hard to read, so, I read your mind to figure out what you're feeling."

The things Vlad could do amazed me. I playfully slapped him in the arm with my free hand, "Don't do it again."

Vlad's smirk grew into a smile, "I promise I won't read your mind, beautiful."

Beautiful. Vlad thought I was beautiful. My heart rate jumped to the sky. We continued walking down the street, coming to Vlad's house.

Vlad, being the amazing gentleman that he his, held the door open for me as we walked inside. We spent most of the morning watching cartoons and chatting about music.

Vlad's arms were wrapped firmly around me as we laid down on his couch. I turned myself over so I was on my back.

"So, there's something I really need to talk to you about?" I said, staring at the ceiling.

I grabbed his hand, interlacing our fingers together. "What is it, babe?" Vlad asked, concern filling his voice.

I decided to be straight foraward, "So here's the thing. Last night, after you tucked me in, I thought I heard you say that, uhm, you loved me."

Vlad ran his thumb over my hand. "I did." He kissed the top of my nose, "I do love you Cassie. It's okay if you don't feel the sa-"

"I do feel the same! I love you!" I blurted out. After saying that, my heart nearly stopped. Had I really just said that!

Vlad's smile was bigger than I had ever seen, "You do?"

I snuggled into his chest, Vlad wrapping his arms around me once again.

"Yes. I love you, Vladimir Tod."

I loved Vladimir Tod. Vladimir Tod loved me.

I fell asleep in his arms once again, loving the life that I now lived.


	12. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**There will be some events coming up in the story that do not follow Heather Brewer's book. Battle scenes are being created with some characters that are not in the original series. I just thought that was important to note. Thank you for reading! I really enjoy writing this story. **

**Lots of love .xx :)**


	13. Shadows

_Fear ran throughout my entire body. Walking alone in the dark was never one of my favorite things to do. I wish Vlad was here to hold my hand, but he was away in Siberia. _

_Goosebumps began to form on my arms. I pulled my hood up over my head, turning up the music on my ipod. _

_Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to listen to music while walking alone in the dark. I needed it, though. The music soothed me whenever I was afraid._

_I was terrified at the moment._

_It wasn't like there was any real reason to be afraid. No one was roaming the streets, but me. The darkness just knew how to attack me._

_I needed a walk. Vlad had been gone for a few days now, and I had nothing to do but sit around and listen to Aunt Kelly talk about her favorite soap operas. My aunt and uncle hadn't seen me leave. They would never allow me to be out this late._

_My breath could be seen in the air in front of me. I was amazed out how dead the town seemed. There weren't even any cars driving on the streets. No houses had their porch lights on._

_It was as if everyone had packed up and left with Vlad._

_I didn't expect many text messages from him. He was busy training, working on his various Pravus skills. However, it had been 3 days, and I hadn't heard a word from him._

_I started to consider the idea that he may have lost his phone. _

_Vlad would find a way to contact me, right?_

_Looking back, the fear in my head only increased. The street lights behing me had completely went black. With the clouds covering the moon, nothing within 10 feet behind me could be seen._

_My body began to tremble. I ran as fast I could towards the the end of the street, where light still shined. That is until the street lights in front of me began going dark as well. _

_By this time, I was freaking out. I stopped dead in my track. Turning off my music, I clicked to my flashlight App on my phone. It didn't help much. I decided to give in and call Vlad._

_The phone rang once, before it was picked up on the other end. _

_"Vlad! I'm really scared right now! It's dark and-"_

_"Vlad's not here right now, sweetheart. You don't like being called that do you? Only Vladimir is allowed to refer to you that way. That's cute. Don't worry, I'm sure he's watching over you," an unfamiliar voice laughed on the other end._

_I dropped my phone and took off running to the nearest house. I had to guess my way around the yard and to the front door. Before I could even knock, the door flew open. There stood a man dressed in all black clothing. He only had one hand._

_"We've been expecting you, Cassie," the man smiled. What I saw then made my heart stop. Fangs. The man was not a man at all, but a vampire._

_I screamed and turned around to run, but the vampire grabbed me by the shoulders. Screaming and screaming, I squirmed, trying to break free of his grasp. He cackled at my attempts._

_"Silly human," his mouth was inches from my ear, "as if you'd ever be able to escape me. Vladimir broke the rules. Now, you must be punished."_

_I didn't have time to respond before he bit into my neck. _

I shot up in bed, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. The window was open, showing a full moon. My curtains danced in the breeze. It took me several minutes to get my breathing back to normal and my heart rate slowed down.

"Just a dream," I whispered to the dark. It was a strange dream at that. The first thing I did was grab my journal and write about the experience. I went to extreme detail, describing the vampire throughly.

Looking at my clock, I could see that it was 3:30 in the morning. I decided against calling Vlad at this time of night. The dream could wait until tomorrow.

However, I refused to go back to sleep. I opened up my laptop and began searching the interenet for possible answers. Too bad a vampire showing up in your dreams was not symbolic enough to mention on the dream interpretation website.


	14. Emotions

"That is strange," Vlad said as he brushed his bangs away from his face.

We were sitting at a table in a diner in Bathory. Vlad had referred to the place as Eat, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't its real name. I had just finished telling him about my dream the previous night. He stayed quiet and listened intently to the details.

"The vampire, what did he look like?" he sipped his soda. I dropped my gaze to the floor. After describing the vampire in my journal last night, I had decided to completely erase the image from my mind. I was deathly afraid of the monster that had attacked me in my dream.

"I didn't see him much. He was dressed in all black, but I did notice that he was missing a hand," I looked at Vlad, surprise filling his face. His eyebrows pushed together in confusion.

"There's no way," he whispered to himself.

Now it was my turn to be confused. "What is it, Vlad?"

His eyes met mine, and I could see fear within them. He smiled, but I could tell it was forced.

Brushing my hair behind my ear, he whispered, "Nothing to worry about, love."

But I was worried. Why would he react in such a way? I wasn't about to let him drop the subject. We weren't going to go back to the lying. Our relationship had grown stronger over the past few months. If Vlad began lying again, I feared that he would make a habit of it and we would take a turn for the worst.

"No tell me, right now," I tried to sound stern, but it came out in a soft whimper. I didn't want to lose Vlad. The thought of it killed me.

He looked out the window and stared at nothing in particular. "Okay," he started, "I know of a vampire who only has one hand. His other was destroyed when I fought him back in the 8th grade. I just don't see how he would have appeared in your dream. It's a little weird."

"Do you think it could mean something?" I grabbed his hand, causing him to look at me once again.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I need to talk to my uncle, soon."

I let go of his hand immediatly. I had never heard him mention an uncle before. He lived with his aunt, but Vlad had never brought up his uncle in a conversation before. Anyway, what would he know about my dream?

He noticed my confusion. "My uncle is a vampire. He was the brother of my father. He knows quite a lot about the vampire world. I kind of consider him my hero." A genuine smile played on his lips.

"If he's your hero, why haven't you mentioned him until now?" I was slightly angry with him. He always found a way to hide things from me. If he thought it would protect me, he was mistaken.

"Cassie, relax. You're stressing yourself out over nothing. Let me take of things, alright?" His voice was sincere, and I'll admit that it did relax me a little. I let him grab my hand once again. He rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, something that I really loved about him.

"Okay," I layed my head on the table, trying to comprehend exactly how Vladimir had calmed me down so easily. He played with my hair as he began talking about a movie he had been watching last night. I didn't really listen. My mind was still stuck on the nightmare from the night before.

"How long do you think it will be before you can talk with you uncle?" I interrupted Vlad's ramble.

He shrugged, "He could most likely be here with in the next few days. It all depends on his schedule."


	15. Meeting Otis Otis

Otis Otis was a tall man with blonde hair. He wore a purple top hat. We were sitting in Vlad's living room. On one couch, Vlad and I sat, his arm wrapped tightly around my waste. Opposite of us, Nelly and Otis sat on the loveseat holding hands.

I had to describe my dream to Otis. Telling the story again meant reliving the nightmare one more time. Every time I had tried to forget the horror, Vlad would bring it up again. He kept asking me if I could remember any other details about my attacker. Each and every time, he recevied the same answer.

No.

"Doesn't it sound like she's describing D'Ablo?" Vlad had been the first to speak after I had told the story again.

Otis looked confused, "I mean, it could be. Or, this could all just be a coincendence. I mean, what are the chances that Cassie dreamt of him?"

Vlad ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Don't you see it Otis! There was a man on the phone stating that I was 'gone' and the vampire only had one hand!" he was standing up now, shouting. "What if she's in danger!?"

My heart stopped there. Danger? I could possibly be in danger!? I looked down to see my hands shaking. Vlad noticed my reaction to his words and sat down, putting his arm around me again.

"Don't worry, baby. I wouldn't let anybody hurt you." Vlad tried to sound soothing, but I could still hear the tension in his voice.

Otis stood up and began pacing the room. We watched him walk back and forth for a few seconds before he spoke again, "There is an ability we vampires have that allows us to send dreams to people. Human or vampire."

Otis and Vlad looked at each other for a few minutes, seeming to have a silent conversation. I looked over at Nelly, hoping for some kind of explanation as to what they were doing. Nelly mouthed, "They do this all the time."

Otis nodded, "Then it's agreed. We'll patrol the streets at night. I'll keep an eye out in Elysia for any suspicious activity. It will be difficult, though. They do not fully trust me after that incident a few years ago."

My confusion only grew at the mention of Elysia. Where was Elysia? Why didn't the people there trust Otis? I had thought I knew everything about Vlad, but it seemed he still had found a way to lie to me.

Otis and Vlad made their way to the kitchen. Nelly and I sat alone in the quiet living room. Nelly made her way over to me, hugging me tightly. She whispered, "It's going to be okay, Cassie. Don't worry."

I didn't understand why she was doing this. Then I realized that I was crying, tears flowing down my face. I let Nelly comfort me. She reminded me of my mother, who used to hold me like this whenever I came home from school crying. I let myself believe that Nelly was my mother for a second, savoring the moment.

Then Nelly was gone. She moved away, another pair of arms wrapping around me, kissing my head.

"Don't cry Cassie, you're okay, you're okay," it was Vlad. I snuggled into his chest, tears still streaming down my face. I could feel it, something bad was going to happen. I didn't know when, and I didn't where.

My mind was in a state of delirium, only Vlad's sweet words could bring me back to reality.


	16. The Kill

*P.O.V. of D'Ablo*

The smell of fear filled my nostrils. Sweet, sweet fear. The man standing just a few yards away from me was scared. He had just finished work, I could tell by the leather briefcase in his hands. The man was walking swiftly to his car on the other side of the road.

He would be my meal tonight.

_I still need to pick up milk! _

I chuckled at the man's thoughts. He was a simple man, working late and picking up milk on his way home. I briefly wondered if he had a family. Then I shook my hand, why do I care?

Not a single person was around. The streets of Stokerton were empty, the only noise to be heard was that of a distant train. I could hear the heart of the man beating solidly in his chest. My fangs slipped from my gums, anticipating the meal.

I needed to kill the man. I tightened my glove around my single hand, scowling at the stump that had been left behind from the Pravus. Soon enough, my fight with the Pravus would come. I had my plan already set into motion. I wanted him to be angry, I wanted him to want to fight. This time, I would be victorious in killing the abomination.

I closed my eyes, letting the scent of the man's blood take over my instincts. Using vampiric speed, I ran directly in the man's path. Keeping his head down, he bumped into me.

"Sorry," he looked up, "I didn't see you there."

The man continued to walk around me. I moved in front of him once again. This time, he stopped dead cold. The fear grew within him.

"H-How did you-" he stopped as soon as I smiled, my fangs gleaming in the pale moonlight.

The man took off running, leaving his briefcase in the street. I let a low chuckle escape my lips. He was a fool, as if running could change his impending doom. I allowed him a moment to run, letting his hope build. It would make for a much more interesting kill later on.

I took off, catching up to the man with ease. Slamming him against a brick wall, he cried out in pain. I grabbed a handful of his hair, pulling him into a dark alley.

"Why are you doing this?!" his lips were trembling now. I placed my lips to his ears, growling.

"Because I can," I titled his head to the side, examining his neck for a moment. I spottede a particularly juicy vein. The kill was coming. I couldn't contain my laughter, joy filling every part of my body. I finally gave into my thirst, biting into the man's neck.

The man was dead within seconds. I watched his body slump to the ground in a heap. Licking my lips, I made my way back out of the alley. It was only a matter of time before I went to Bathory to collect the girl. Cassie, I believe her name was. My lips pushed up into a smirk.

"The time has come, Master Pravus," my words seemed to twist into the air, fading in the darkness.


	17. Summer Vacation

Otis Otis was a tall man with blonde hair. He wore a purple top hat. We were sitting in Vlad's living room. On one couch, Vlad and I sat, his arm wrapped tightly around my waste. Opposite of us, Nelly and Otis sat on the loveseat holding hands.

I had to describe my dream to Otis. Telling the story again meant reliving the nightmare one more time. Every time I had tried to forget the horror, Vlad would bring it up again. He kept asking me if I could remember any other details about my attacker. Each and every time, he recevied the same answer.

No.

"Doesn't it sound like she's describing D'Ablo?" Vlad had been the first to speak after I had told the story again.

Otis looked confused, "I mean, it could be. Or, this could all just be a coincendence. I mean, what are the chances that Cassie dreamt of him?"

Vlad ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Don't you see it Otis! There was a man on the phone stating that I was 'gone' and the vampire only had one hand!" he was standing up now, shouting. "What if she's in danger!?"

My heart stopped there. Danger? I could possibly be in danger!? I looked down to see my hands shaking. Vlad noticed my reaction to his words and sat down, putting his arm around me again.

"Don't worry, baby. I wouldn't let anybody hurt you." Vlad tried to sound soothing, but I could still hear the tension in his voice.

Otis stood up and began pacing the room. We watched him walk back and forth for a few seconds before he spoke again, "There is an ability we vampires have that allows us to send dreams to people. Human or vampire."

Otis and Vlad looked at each other for a few minutes, seeming to have a silent conversation. I looked over at Nelly, hoping for some kind of explanation as to what they were doing. Nelly mouthed, "They do this all the time."

Otis nodded, "Then it's agreed. We'll patrol the streets at night. I'll keep an eye out in Elysia for any suspicious activity. It will be difficult, though. They do not fully trust me after that incident a few years ago."

My confusion only grew at the mention of Elysia. Where was Elysia? Why didn't the people there trust Otis? I had thought I knew everything about Vlad, but it seemed he still had found a way to lie to me.

Otis and Vlad made their way to the kitchen. Nelly and I sat alone in the quiet living room. Nelly made her way over to me, hugging me tightly. She whispered, "It's going to be okay, Cassie. Don't worry."

I didn't understand why she was doing this. Then I realized that I was crying, tears flowing down my face. I let Nelly comfort me. She reminded me of my mother, who used to hold me like this whenever I came home from school crying. I let myself believe that Nelly was my mother for a second, savoring the moment.

Then Nelly was gone. She moved away, another pair of arms wrapping around me, kissing my head.

"Don't cry Cassie, you're okay, you're okay," it was Vlad. I snuggled into his chest, tears still streaming down my face. I could feel it, something bad was going to happen. I didn't know when, and I didn't where.

My mind was in a state of delirium, only Vlad's sweet words could bring me back to reality.


	18. Wishful Thinking

"Cassie, what's the matter?" Vlad had taken my hands, whispering softly into my ear. We were lying on Vlad's bed, watching some black and white movie. I hadn't realized that I was crying.

My thoughts refused to move away from the man I had seen. No matter how hard I tried, my mind would wander back to him. I began creating obscene scenarios in my head where the man would suck my blood dry.

"Baby," Vlad now pulled me closer, kissing my tear-stained cheek.

I nuzzled my head into his neck, attempting to calm myself down, "Its nothing Vlad, don't worry about it."

"Don't lie to me," his voice was stern, cold. Our eyes met, slight tears forming in his. "Why the hell are you lying to me?"

I couldn't help but get angry, pushing myself out of Vlad's arms. Pacing his room, I could feel Vlad's piercing eyes on me. "Why shouldn't I lie to you!? It's not like you haven't lied to me about, I don't know, everything!?"

I felt bad for saying it, but it needed to be said. Vlad had no right to accuse me of lying whenever he was the king of liars.

In less than a second, Vlad was in front of me. I could see the anger in his eyes, but there was something more. He looked hurt.

"Any time I've lied to you, it was TO PROTECT YOU!" the volume of his voice increased has he spoke. "YOU'RE ACTING SELFISH! I STAY UP ALL NIGHT MONITORING THE STREETS OF THIS DAMN TOWN SO YOU FEEL SAFE!"

I was actually afraid. Vlad's eyes had gone from dark to a bright purple. His anger only seemed to deepen, his hands trembling.

"Vlad, babe, just calm down." I grabbed his hand, trying to relax him. He yanked it away from mine, throwing his desk chair to the floor in a sudden rage. Vlad was breathing heavy, obviously trying to calm himself down.

"Maybe you should go," his voice was quieter now, tears falling down his face. I had to strain to listen. He pointed towards the door, not speaking another word.

I made my way out of the room, but turned to him one last time, "I'm sorry, okay?"

I couldn't help but cry as made my way down the sidewalk. I had hurt Vlad and I did it on purpose. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted him to know how I felt.

I regretted it more than anything. My thoughts were so absorbed in what I had just done, that I didn't notice the footsteps behind me. I hadn't noticed, before it was too late. My attacker tackled me to the ground, everything instantly going dark.

"Wakey, wakey," a deep, raspy voice spoke. The sound was distance, my head spinning.

"What's going on?" I mumbled while trying to make sense of my surroundings. Opening my eyes, I could see that I was in some sort of basement. The smell of mold invaded my nostrils, nearly choking me. That's when I saw the source of the voice.

A man was standing before me. His face was cold, eyes emotionless. Lips curling into a sadistic smile, I noticed his fangs. A vampire stood before me. I wanted to run, curl up in a ball and wait for Vlad to save me. I dared to look down at his arm.

He only had one hand.

My heart began racing a million miles a minute. I couldn't breath, I couldn't think, all I could was sit there, my wrists chained to the wall. This was the vampire Vlad had spoken of, the one I had seen in my nightmare.

"Good, you're awake. Cassie, right? Vladimir will be missing you once he realizes you're gone." the vampire's voice was arrogant, showing that he knew he had the upper hand in this situation.

I couldn't help but begin sobbing, "V-Vlad will save me, you'll see." I wanted my words to sound fearless, but I just sounded like the cowardly lion. I knew Vlad would save me, I believed in him.

"Believe in him?" the vampire laughed. I instantly recalled what Vlad had told me about the ability that vampires had to read minds. "Vladimir will attempt to save you, but he'll evidently fail, as usual. Allow me to introduce myself," he pulled a chair in front of me and took a seat, "My name is D'Ablo. I have an issue with your little boyfriend."

"And what's that? Mad because a teenage boy severed your hand?" When I spoke this time, I sounded more confident. Smiling to myself, I let my thoughts trail to images of Vlad beating D'Ablo and saving me like the hero I knew he was. I wanted D'Ablo to think I wasn't afraid.

"You have a mouth on you, kid. Just like Vladimir," he laughed to himself, "Maybe you two are meant to be together. What a shame that your love won't last."

I could tell he was trying to get to me, he wanted me to cry, scream, beg for help. But I wouldn't.

D'Ablo stood up, moving closer to me. His lips were just inches from my ear when he whispered, "I'm not afraid of Vladimir, young lady. He should be afraid of me." His words sent a chilling shiver down my spine.

A low growl erupted from his throat. He kissed my cheek, "Don't worry though, sweetheart, I'll make sure your death is quite painless. You don't like being called nicknames, right? Only sweet Vlad gets to call you that." He was mocking me. It took everything I could not to scream. I was angry, upset, but mostly, scared. I just wished that at any moment, I would wake up from this awful nightmare. Then Vlad would pull me in close, whispering that everything was going to be okay, sweetly and softly.

"Well, silly human, Vlad will never hold you close again. Say goodbye to that dream, because this," his face was just inches from mine, "is real."

I mentally scorned myself for letting my thoughts wonder. D'Ablo wasn't going to make me beg for help.

He dragged an object off the nearby table. When he pressed it to his ear, I realized that D'Ablo held my phone in his hands.

"What are you doing?" I tried to comprehend what exactly was going on.

He chuckled, his dark, uncaring eyes meeting mine. "I'm just making a little phone call to your 'boo'," D'Ablo said, mocking me once again.

To my dismay, someone picked up on the other end. D'Ablo quickly switched it to speakerphone.

"Cassie! I'm so glad you called! I've been looking everywhere for you!" the voice sounded concerned, but caring. "I want to talk to you about what happened earlier." Vlad's voice was rushed, panicing.

D'Ablo pressed his hand to my mouth, ensuring that I would not speak. "Oh, don't worry Vladimir, she's just fine. We're spending some," he paused, "quality time together."

There was silence on the other end. I assumed that Vlad was trying to make sense of what just happened.

"WHERE IS SHE!? D'ABLO I SWEAR IF THIS IS YOU I'LL-"

D'Ablo laughed loudly, "You'll what? Kill me? Come and do so Vladimir, I'm waiting, along with her."

He removed his hand from my mouth, gesturing for me to speak.

I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say, so I just went with what I felt, "Vlad? Baby please help!" The fear was noticable in my voice. I could not longer mask it, hearing Vlad's voice sent me off the edge.

"Don't worry, Cassie. He'll pay for this," the other end went silent.


	19. Thoughts in the Dark

D'Ablo left around 20 minutes ago. I was alone, scared, and tired. The tired feeling wasn't one where I wanted to sleep.

No, I was tired of all of this. I was tired of this life. I had let Vlad change me. It has been so long since I've thought about my parents. Vlad has made me forget about them, which, in a way, is what I wanted. So why was I so angry about it? Maybe I didn't want to forget my parents. Maybe I wanted to be sad.

I hadn't touched my journal in weeks. Now, in this dark basement, I could picture the notebook collecting dust under the pillow. I wondered if anyone would find it, read through it as if they were interested in my life. There was this strong feeling in my chest that made me believe one thing.

I was going to die here.

How could I have been so stupid? I promised myself a long time ago that I would never let anyone change me. But here I was, strapped to a wall waiting for Vlad to save me like I was some helpless princess.

I was stronger than this.

There had to be some way out of here. What was I to do, sit here and wait for Vlad? My parents would be very disappointed. I could picture them now, looking down from heaven, shaking their heads in disapproval.

I had let them down. My heart felt empty, hollow in a way. I loved Vlad, I truly did. He meant the world to me, but he had manipulated me. He had turned me into someone I am not.

A coward.

It probably wasn't fair to blame Vlad. Ever since my parents died, I haven't been the strongest person. I feel, though, that if Vlad weren't in my life, I would be strong again. He was holding me back from getting better. My ill-state of mind was only worsened when I came to Bathory.

The town was like a curse, taking everything you are and twisting it in to something new. Making you believe that you wanted to stay here, but you didn't. I blame the town for ruining my aunt's dreams. She would deny still wanting to be a model, but you could see it in her eyes. She longed for something more than just this small town life.

Bathory was poison.

I needed to get out of here. No more fear. My eyes searched the room for anything that could assist me in my escape. The only items in the room were the table and the chair D'Ablo had sat in. I searched the table, hoping to find something useful to cut through the chains.

I was meant with disappointment.

What was I thinking? D'Ablo wasn't just going to leave a saw on the table. He didn't want me to escape. My cell phone was still laying there, but I had no idea as to how that could be useful. I couldn't call the police. They wouldn't believe me.

_"911, what's your emergency?"_

_"I was kidnapped by an evil vampire out to kill my vampire boyfriend."_

No one would ever believe me. Any way, how would I even dial the number. My hands were strapped behind my back. They weren't moving.

I could hear footsteps, tension growing throughout my body. I didn't want to see D'Ablo again. At that moment, all I wanted to do was cry.

The door flew open and someone entered the room. I looked up to see what D'Ablo had in store for me. What I saw in front of me made me want to jump for joy.

Vlad was breathless, his hair sticking out in several places. His eyes were that bright purple color, his fangs very much visible. He looked as if he had been fighting. Blood stained his shirt, but I was not sure if it was his or if the red liquid belonged to someone else.

"I'm sorry I got you into this," Vlad whispered as he effortlessly broke the chains. I assumed vampires had super strength as well as their super speed. "We need to get out of here now. It's only a matter of time before D'Ablo comes back."

So he hadn't killed my kidnapper. This information only left me more curious. Who's blood was on his shirt?

I didn't have time to ask anything before D'Ablo was standing at the door. He casually leaned against the frame, playing with his fingernails.

"What a pleasure to see you, Master Pravus," his voice was calm. "I see you've found the girl. Congratulations. Now let the real fight begin."


	20. Predator and Prey

A low growl escaped Vlad's lips, "You think this is some kind of game?"

D'Ablo made his way across the room. Vlad pushed me behind him, protectively blocking me from the vampire before us. "Vladimir, let us not be so angry. I just wanted some fun," D'Ablo was playing a game. I could see that. He wanted Vlad to hate him, wanted Vlad to _loathe _him.

"If you want a fight, I'll fight you. All I ask is that you leave Cassie alone. She's is not invovled in this vampire nonsense," Vlad kept his eyes on D'Ablo the entire time that he spoke.

The vampire clucked his tounge,"Vladimir, she's already in too deep," D'Ablo looked at me, almost sympathetically. "I'll give you a choice, Master Pravus. Allow me to turn her, or we shall fight, until one of us is dead." As he spoke, two other vampires entered the room. "Meet my friends, Ambel and Garder. They're ready to fight you, Vladimir. The question is, are you all talk, or do you have some game?"

Ambel was tall, his hairline severly receeding. Garder was shorter, but was much more handsome than the other. He was red-headed and wore glasses that seemed to only be for fashion.

"D'Ablo, must we do this," Vlad tried to reason with the vampire. "Cassie is innocent, let her be, and I'll gladly battle your little goons."

"Master Pravus," Ambel spoke, he had a slight British accent, "I've always dreamed of meeting you. I believed that the Pravus would save the vampires from those dreaded, unworthy humans. Now," he smirked, clapping his hands together, "I know I was wrong. What a pity you are. You're just like your father, worthless." Ambel spat the last word at Vlad, wanting it to hurt him.

To my surprise, Vlad laughed. "Let me explain something to you, ladies," he took a step towards the trio. "My father was a great man, an amazing vampire. What he stood for was protection and bravery. You," he chuckled, "need to see people die to be something. Your human lives must have been pitiful."

Garder growled, Vlad obviously hitting a nerve. D'Ablo held his hand up, quieting the angry vampire.

I didn't move an inch, listening intently to the conversation. My mind was searching for ways for me to escape, coming up with nothing at all. The vampires were blocking the only exit, and I stood no chance against the monsters. Briefly, I allowed my mind to wonder to my parents. They would always check under my bed for monsters before I went to sleep when I was little. By the age of 6, I no longer believed in the creatures. Now, four monsters stood before me.

"Monsters? That's a little hurtful, sweetheart," Garder spoke this time. He stepped forward so he was right next to D'Ablo. I forgot that they could hear my thoughts. "Four of them? You even consider your little boyfriend to be a monster? What a shame. After all he's done to try and protect you."

Vlad looked back at me. I could see the hurt in his eyes. "Vlad," I finally spoke up, "don't listen to him, please, baby."

The vampire trio laughed, D'Ablo was the first to speak up. "That's so cute. Isn't it just so cute, Ambel?"

"Oh yes D'Ablo," the vampire smiled. "High school love is _so_ cute. I hope what Garder said doesn't affect your relationship."

They were mocking us, trying to mess with Vlad's mind. By the look in his eyes, I could see it was working. Vlad wasn't pleased. He looked as if he was trying to decide something.

Vlad cracked a smile, something I completely did not expect. "Don't try and mess with me. I'm smarter than you think," he narrowed his eyes. "Why don't we just get the fighting over with?"

Vlad ran with vampiric speed towards Ambel, throwing him to the floor. I barely had time to blink before he had Garder by the throat. A choking noise came from the vampire before Vlad tossed him to the floor. Ambel got up in seconds and jumped on Vlad's back, pulling at his hair. Vlad flipped him over his back, a cracking noise filling the room.

D'Ablo came behind me and wrapped his arm around my neck. My breath was cut short, stars beginning to appear in my vision. D'Ablo hissed into my ear, the noise sounded far away,"Better tell your boyfriend to calm down before I snap your neck."

Vlad stopped in his tracks, Garder and Ambel grabbing both of his arms. D'Ablo released his grip on me, pinning my arms behind my back. I gasped for air, meeting Vlad's eyes. He seemed to be looking off into the distance, concentrating on something. D'Ablo's grip on my began to weaken. Next thing I knew, he had let go of me completely and fell to the ground, screaming.

"What are you doing to him!?" Ambel released Vlad and rushed to D'Ablo's aid. Vlad proceeded to flip Garder, gesturing for me to follow him.

"It's a little trick I learned, don't worry, it'll subside sooner or later," Vlad grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. He began running, dragging me behind him. I tried my best to keep up, but I wasn't fast.

We turned a corner and Vlad stopped, "Listen, you need to get on my back. The only way we're going to get out of here is if we run at vampiric speed. Come on!"

I jumped up and Vlad held my arms, ready to take off. As we ran, I buried my head into his neck, trying not to think of the speed we were moving at. I only looked up once Vlad stopped. We were outside, a slight breeze brushing my hair from my face. Buildings surrounded us, making me believe we were in Stokerton. It was night, the moon full above us.

Vlad placed me on the ground and took a second to wrap his arms around me, kissing my forehead. "I love you, Cassie. Everything's going to be alright, I promise."

Otis and Nelly were waiting nearby with a car. Nelly sat inside with some food, water, and a blanket. Otis held the door open for me. I looked at Vlad, tears escaping my eyes.

"Aren't you coming?" I couldn't stand the thought of leaving Vlad like this. What if I never saw him again?

"You will see me again," Vlad kissed my lips. "Sorry, I know I promised I wouldn't listen to your thoughts, but sometimes I can't help myself. I can handle this. Please," he tilted my head so I was looking him straight in the eyes, "get in the car where it's safe."

"Fine, but we're not leaving without you," I said, walking to the car where Nelly awaited for me.

Once the door closed, Nelly locked the doors. I looked out to see Vlad and Otis heading back inside. Saying a silent prayer for Vlad's safety, I accepted the food Nelly handed to me. She threw a blanket over my shoulders.

"Everything's going to be alright, Cassie. Don't worry," she tried to sound comforting, but I could hear the shakiness in her voice. I quickly did another silent prayer, wishing for Otis' safety as well.


	21. Alone

We sat outside the building for hours, rain began to fall from newly gathered clouds. Nelly kept quiet about the situation. She talked about the news and the weather, refusing to bring up the subject at hand. I stole occasional glances at Nelly. She tried to hide it, but I could tell that she was upset. Nelly's eyes were filled with fear, pain making its way into her voice. As the night went on, the fear in Nelly's eyes became more and more evident.

I tried my best not to think of what Vlad was going through at the moment. If my mind wondered, I would close my eyes and picture one of my favorite nights. The night Vlad came to my house and held me close all night, comforting me when I thought about my parents.

It was about 1 AM, the rain still not letting up. Nelly had dozed off, something I was very grateful for. I didn't like seeing Nelly upset. She reminded me so much of my mother. When my mother would cry, I'd come into her room and hug her, not saying a word.

I let myself cry. I cried for my parents, for Nelly, for Otis, but most importantly, for Vlad. The fear of never seeing him again was overwhelming. They should've been back by now. Why were they taking so long? What if D'Ablo had hurt them? What if he was on his way now to kill Nelly and I!?

I stared at the building, looking for anything out of place. That's when I saw it.

Two black figures were making their way to the car. They walked slowly, one of the figures limping slightly. My mind quickly ran to one possibilty.

Ambel and Garder.

They were coming to kill Nelly and I. They had already killed Vlad and Otis. Panic ran throughout my entire body. My heart was racing at a million miles a minute. I wanted to move and start the car, drive off until I was sure we were safe.

But I couldn't move.

As the figures grew close, my breath grew shorter. I couldn't think straight. I kept telling my body to move, screamed at it in my mind.

It refused to budge.

The limping figure opened my door, a scream finally finding its way up my throat. Nelly stirred from next to me, immediately throwing her pillow at the figure.

"Whoa, whoa, guys chill out," a familiar voice coming out from the darkness.

Vlad.

I threw myself towards him, burying my face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

"Careful love," his voice was raspy, "I'm a little unstable."

I looked at him in concern as he slid into the car. A piece of fabric was wrapped around his leg, blood visibly seeping through the makeshift bandage.

"What happened?" I finally found my voice.

Vlad smirked, shaking his head, "We beat the bad guys, that's what happened."

I chuckled at his sarcasm. Even in the most horrifying situations, he knew how to make me smile. Snuggling into his chest, I finally allowed myself to sleep, knowing that the most important person in my life was safe.

_White surrounded me. Everything was spotless, quiet, and peaceful. I looked down at my clothing. My usually dark skinny jeans and T-shirt were pure white._

_A breeze blew my hair aside, meanwhile bringing in a scent of roses. The scenery before me changed almost instantly._

_There were trees and I stood in a clearing. The sky above me was clear, not a single cloud in sight. I was wearing the same attire._

_Before me stood my parents. They were also dressed in white clothing. However, their attire resembled long robes. My mother's hair was tied back in a beautiful hairstyle. A few strands of her curly black hair framed her face. Both of my parents smiled at me._

_I smiled back, enjoying this moment._

_I felt someone grab my waste from behind, resting their chin on my head. Turning to see, I realized it was Vlad, who just smiled at my parents._

_"What are you doing here?" I said, confused as to what the hell was going on. I was dreaming, that much I knew, but I wasn't sure why Vlad and my parents were thoughtfully staring at one another._

_"You swear that you'll take of her?" my father was speaking to Vlad. I turned my head to him, tears threatening to fall. I hadn't heard his voice in so long. "She means everything to me, please protect her."_

_I didn't need to look at Vlad to know that he was smiling. "Forever and always, Mr. Barker."_

_My mother walked towards me, taking my hands in hers. She looked at me, her blue eyes meeting mine. She was crying, staring at me intensly. _

_"Cassie," her voice made me cry, "oh my beautiful Cassie. I'm so proud of you. You've really overcome so much in the past year. You're strong, baby girl, " she smiled at Vlad. "I'm glad to know that someone will continue to keep you safe. Are you happy with him?"_

_I didn't even need to think about the answer, "Happier than I have ever been. Vlad's the love of my life, mom." I smiled from ear to ear, pulling my mother into a hug._

_Once we parted, I looked over to see Vlad and my father shaking hands. A calm feeling settled of the clearing, one that made me sigh with relief._

When I opened my eyes, the sunlight was streaming through the windows. Vlad was sound asleep next to me, snoring lightly. I remembered my dream, smiling to myself. Sitting up in bed, it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Even if it were just a dream, I feel as if it were something more. Maybe this was a message from my parents, saying that they accepted Vlad. The dream meant everything to me.

"Babe?" I looked over at Vlad, who had a serious case of bed head. I couldn't help but laugh. He always looks so cute whenever he wakes up.

I pressed my lips to his, savoring the moment.

"Go back to sleep, you had a rough night," I said, pushing him back down on the bed. He smiled at me before brushing my hair behind my ear.

"Damn you're beautiful."


	22. Epilogue

I feel better now.

It seemed as if the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. The issues in my life had somehow been resolved. I'm not sure if I just wasn't paying attention, but one day, I looked back and realized that I was truly happy.

The sun was beating down, the sound of the waves calming and comforting. A stray seagull flew by every once in a while. I was laying on a beach chair, a dark pair of sunglasses resting on my face.

Vlad, Nelly, Otis, my aunt and uncle, and I all decided to finish off summer vaction on the beach in South Carolina. The water was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. For the past half hour, Nelly and I were watching Vlad and Otis attempt to boogie board. They failed just about everytime.

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Francis seemed to avoid us, taking every chance they could to go to the boardwalk. It took a lot of convincing to get Uncle Francis to go. In the end, my aunt had promised him a nice lobster dinner at the best restaurant. He still didn't approve of Vlad, but he finally accepted the fact that he made me happy.

As for my parents, I thought of them everyday. However, I no longer cried. Something told me that they were happy, and they were somewhere watching me, making sure that I was safe.

"Why don't you try?" Vlad broke me out of my thoughts. He was kneeling next to my beach chair, water dripping from his hair. Vlad always found away to be extremely attractive in the strangest situations. His eyes were bloodshot from the salt water, his hair sticking out in several places, a piece of seaweed sticking to his shoulder, and he still looked incredible.

Picking the seaweed off of him, I replied, "If you're referring to boogie boarding, count me out. I would end up dying."

"Not if I'm there to dive in and save you," Vlad said, winking at me. He grabbed my hands, pulling me off the chair. "Come on! You can't just tan this entire vacation!"

I gave in, letting Vlad lead me to the water. The tide rushed over my toes. I crinkled my nose at the cold sensation.

"You are so cute!" I looked over to see Vlad watching me.

I laughed, grabbing the surf board, "Not so cute when show you up in boogie boarding!"

"Bring it on!" Vlad smiled before diving into the water. I couldn't help but take a moment and admire him.

I was 100%, completely, head-over-heals, in love with Vladimir Tod.

And I was 100%, perfectly happy with that.

**Author's Note**

**So, there it is, the end of Delirium. This was my first fan fiction and I'm so happy with the feedback. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and giving me advice on how to improve the story. I might possibly do a sequal to this story, but I haven't decided yet. Once again, thank you so much! 333 :D .xx**


End file.
